Chaos theory
Article
Chaos theory studies deterministic systems whose behaviour can become highly sensitive to initial conditions. Very small differences in starting values can grow rapidly and produce widely different long-term outcomes.
Chaotic behaviour does not mean that a system lacks rules. The governing equations may be simple and completely deterministic, but nonlinear interactions make precise long-range prediction difficult.
Common features include strange attractors, bifurcations, fractal structure, mixing, and positive Lyapunov exponents. The Lorenz system, logistic map, and double pendulum are frequently used examples.
Chaos theory is applied in weather, fluid dynamics, population biology, celestial mechanics, electronics, economics, and many other fields. It also helps distinguish irregular deterministic motion from random noise.
Source details and credits
- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory